Natalie Imbruglia @ Gorilla, Manchester, 14 May
We're hamstrung from the off by dint of presentation: Natalie Imbruglia's European tour arrives with good intentions but who doesn't inwardly groan at the words 'An Acoustic Evening'? Nevertheless, the venue is rammed (and, as ever, Gorilla when sold-out is beyond uncomfortable) though the hardcore are not quite as hardcore as you'd hope. Chat levels exceed even the local average and in this stripped-back format, the impact is huge. Those of us who'd signed up suddenly curious to hear 1997's Left of the Middle given a full band makeover are left to ponder their tardiness and, maybe, their fickleness.
Has that ship sailed? Perhaps.The setlist pointedly picks from the more recent past (though only 2015's covers album Male is even vaguely fresh) but nothing Imbruglia has done since has matched her tremendous debut. Its production aesthetic (designed in part by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich) transformed routine pop-rock into a collection characterful enough to make Beth from Neighbours into a bona fide million-seller in the blink of an eye. And while hyper-ballad Torn made her a star, it was the likes of City and Wishing I Was There that best demonstrated that record's way with a sparky hook.
Both are absent tonight – neither would work with just voice and minimal backing. But then neither should the (excellent) stream of consciousness That Day, though Imbruglia is happy to take it on accompanied by just electric guitar. It doesn't work; it needs the drive of a band to support all of those words and the acrobatic delivery. Imbruglia introduces Lukas: infamously, the song Chris Martin regretted gifting her for 2009's Come To Life. Unremarkable filler, heaven only knows why. A smarter choice by far from that release would have been My God, but Imbruglia's most recent album of originals is still unavailable in the UK.
Still, there are high spots. Torn actually blooms with piano upfront, and the chatterers put down their pints for a moment. She reworks Death Cab For Cutie's I Will Follow You Into the Dark: 'If there's no one beside you as your soul embarks,' she breathes, nailing its tone of mordant devotion. Smoke – that dark, rickety ballad from the debut – was barely there to begin with and takes on new life when reduced even further.
Elsewhere, album tracks and hits alike struggle to really cut through. Ultimately, it's not that the show wants for charm (Imbruglia is a warm and connected presence) or hasn't been mapped out with care (the voice is still strong and the songs are sensitively re-arranged). But it sure could do with some oomph. A closing brace of Intuition and Big Mistake earns her a deserved extended ovation, but with her best work currently celebrating its twentieth birthday, Imbruglia's best option for touring minus new material (and four albums in two decades is a thin return from a lengthy career) remains right under her nose.